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SOMALIA
Somalia Forest Figures
Forest CoverTotal forest area: 7,131,000 ha % of land area: 11.4%
Primary forest cover: n/a % of land area: n/a % total forest area: n/a
Deforestation Rates, 2000-2005Annual change in forest cover: -76,800 ha Annual deforestation rate: -1.0% Change in defor. rate since '90s: 10.3% Total forest loss since 1990: -1,151,000 ha Total forest loss since 1990:-13.9%
Primary or "Old-growth" forests Annual loss of primary forests: n/a Annual deforestation rate: n/a Change in deforestation rate since '90s: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990: n/a Primary forest loss since 1990:n/a
Forest ClassificationPublic: 100% Private: n/a Other: n/a Use Production: n.s.% Protection: n/a Conservation: n/a Social services: n/a Multiple purpose: 100% None or unknown: n/a
Forest Area BreakdownTotal area: 7,131,000 ha Primary: n/a Modified natural: 7,128,000 ha Semi-natural: n/a Production plantation: 3,000 ha Production plantation: n/a
PlantationsPlantations, 2005: 3,000 ha % of total forest cover: n.s.% Annual change rate (00-05): n/a
Carbon storageAbove-ground biomass: 624 M t Below-ground biomass: 150 M t
Area annually affected byFire: n/a Insects: n/a Diseases: n/a
Number of tree species in IUCN red listNumber of native tree species: n/a Critically endangered: 0 Endangered: 3 Vulnerable: 14
Somalia is a failed state and little is known about the current condition of its forests, which cover only a tiny portion of the country. U.N. data suggest that Somalia loses about 1 percent of its forests each year, mostly due to subsistence activities like fuelwood collection, agriculture, and use for building materials.
A recent story from Reuters ("Uphill struggle to preserve Somalia's wildlife," 11 Jan 2006 by Ed Stoddard) gave some insight into Somalia's environmental status. According to the article, Somalia had 40,000 elephants in 1980 but these are almost all gone today. There may be 500-750 lions in the country.
At last count by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre of the United Nations Environment Programme, there were 642 species of birds listed for Somalia, 222 mammals, 182 reptiles, 32 amphibians, and 3,028 species of plants.
